Locking mechanism eor the dttmpdsrg-plateorms oe sugar-beet-loading



M. S. RICHESON. LOCKING lMECHANISNIFOR `THE DUMPING'PLATFORMS 0F SUGAR BEET LOADINGA STRUCTURES.

v APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27| |9151-l y Patented Aug. V22, 1916.

MACK s. nrcnnsoiv, or o rtcHAaD, coLonADo.

t LOCLKING MECHANISM FOBTHEDUMPING-PLATFOEMSGF SUGAR-BEET-LOADING- 'T 0 al; ,if concern.;

a ci' lzenfof ttlie'United States of America,

- residingat Orchard, county of Morgan, and.

useful Locking Mechanism for the Dump- State of Colorado, have 'invented a new and ing-Platforms of Sugar-Beet-Loading Struc- .tures,"of wh ich the following is aspecification.`. `lll/Iyinvention relates `to-anew locking mechanism .'for the tilting wagon dumping platforms yof railway car beetsugar loading structures; and the object of my invention is to provide a `safe and reliable malnu- .ally operating platform locking mechanism that-will lock the tilting platform automatically and that will hold the platform securely and safely, and ythatcan be unlocked and will release the tilting platformby foot vmechanism illustrated in the accompanying pressure'. I' attain these objects by the drawings', in whichi Figure 1, isa transverse sectional view through the vstrl'ictur'e andthe rocln'ng platform4 showing ythe said platform locked in a horizontalposition by the improved lockingmechanism. Fig. 2, isa transverse, sectional view showing the platform tilted as 'when v'a`w'ag )n is being dumped therefrom,

the parts ofthe locking mechanism being in thepositi'on they assume whengtheplatform j is thus tilted.'

` Similar letters of reference refer vto simllar partsthroughout the-several views.

Referring to the drawings, in Figs. landk 2,'is illustrated a portion of va' dumpingA structure, such as is' used 'in the beet sugar raising'- districts of 'Colo'rado.' This lstruc 4d ture'v is built of wood and comprisessuitable inclined approaches not shown, which terminate at their'top endsin a-tilting platform- {3, upon which thewagon loads of beets are driven:` This-'platform is then tilted sidewise with the wagon' load of'beets on'it, and

lsfw'ungjout and" the beets slide'` out l ofthe wagon'fonto a'row of slats 4,' down which the the" lower side'Y boards of thei wagon are beets slifdeintoa,freightcanr load of beets 4isf'ony it', is arranged so that itr will tilt up v` `1u',i ck ly. fonsequently the platform exerts i `a 'c'onstant upward tilting pressure yon its -upward "moving" side, :`and the Aessentlal object of l'n'iy'j` invention 1s I to j provide a locking mechanism that securely lock the `plat- STRUCTURES. f

I specificati-anni Letters Patent..

Applicatioiisleki ncessitera?, 1915. seria1'm.es,s57.

(Be, itv knownthat I, MACK SgRIoHEsoN,

Patented aegee-,191e

form against accidental tilting imovement,v but which can be quickly-and easily released.

To this endv IV provide the ytilting platform 3 ywitha base plate shoe @which as 'illustrated 1s of the rocking cradle type; The platform is madeof heavy plankmg '6 thatis supported on cross sills 7. This platform rolls on curved runners 8 that rest oncross beams 9, The shoe 5l is securely bolted to the upf wardly moving edge of the tilting platform,

and to it I pivotally securethe lower end `of an uprightjoiirted or toggle jointed bar 10, which I term the locking bar. Thislocking barfis made in two portions 10 and 11,

`the upper end portion of which is pivotally connected to an abutment shoe plate 12, that is'secured to a cross beam 13, that is strongly `secured to two-vertical posts 14. 'The piv'- otal joint 15 of the ocking bar'is preferably positioned at a `little more' than half way from the base plate or tiltingplatform shoe of the whole lengthof this togglebar. The

pivotallv connecting knuckle ofthe two parts or portions of this bar forms a knuckle joint or a knuckling connection in the bar, and it preferably consists of themeeting ends of the two parts of the bar, being pivotally and overlappingly connected together by a pivotal bolt 16, so that the lower part engages the upper part and limitsgits locking movement.` lThe overlapping connection of the jointed ends .of this togglebar is preferably formed by .a yoke-shaped extending end portion 17 vthat is formed on the upper end of the lowerqend portion l0 of this toggle bar. This yoke shaped extension 'portion isl made to straddle and partially inclose the edge and the opposite sides of the adjacentA end of the upper Hportieri of the A jointed bar. Above' thev joint 15 a cross `lever 18 is securely bolted at 'one end, which end laps aroundy the edge of the bar 11 to preventthe lever fromturning on its bolt.

l The outer end of this lever is provided with an eapertured' eye 19`nd it iits loosely over an 1 adjustable threaded'eye bolt 20 that-extends losely through it: Thenpper end of this eye bolt is provided 'withfa handled nut 21 which threads lloosely on' the threaded 1 eye bolt. 'A check nut 2 2 is'threaded-onfthe end of the eye bolt. Then lower end o fthe eye bolt is provided with ahook,-on which one-en dfof vatension `spring 23 -is'placed The opposite'end of this spring is connected to they hook1v endof an4v eye" bolt 24, that sewhich position the center of the pivotal bolt- 16-isl on the opposite side of a center -line from` the contraction tension spring 23,

which exerts a strong enough pull on the 'opposite end portions of the jointed bar to hold that bar securely locked in that ut of center alinement position. In this position ""the bar is slightly knuckled and the yoke end of the lower portion of this bar bears tightly against the adjacent edge of the upper portion of the bar, which prevents the bar from moving any farther away from its holding spring. Consequently in the pglslition my improved tilting platform loc g mechanism is shown in Fig. 1, the tilting platform 3 is lpcked in a substantially horizontal plane and ina loaded wage w receiving position.

As soon as a loaded wagon has driven on the platform into position to dump the load of beets, the operator breaks the lock of the vertical locking bar by breaking the olf-centered joint, which' he does by moving the pivotally jointed ends of the bar beyond a straight line connecting the opposite ends of the said bar. `There are a number of ways that this feature of my invention can be ef-` fected. I preferably however arrange to break this locking bars joint in the following manner: To the posts 14 I (pivotallysecure in boxes A, the opposite en portions 27 of a crank rod, the central swinging portion 28 of which is normally held against the outer edge of the locking bar by the weight of a foot tripping rod'portion 29 that depends from one of the ends of the crank rod, and when the operator desires to break the locking joint ofthe locking bar, he puts a foot against the end 'of the foot tripping portion of this crank rod and moves it to cause the swinging center rod of the crank rod to press against the locking lever and Athrow its jointed ends across the center of this rod, which unlocks this joint and instantly afterward the platform tilts and its side to which the locking mechanism is attac-hed tilts upwardly in the direction of the arrow, the platform with its load being slightly over-weighted so as to tilt in that direction. i

The tilting movement of the platform tilts the wagon, which is held from sliding off of it'by the wheel rail 30 and the hub rail 31. When the platform is tilted up to the full limit of its upward movement, the locking mechanism is moved into the position shown in Fig, 3, which stretches the spring tiltingly back'into its fiatA horizontal position, and as' it moves into that position the locking bar will again automatically lock itself by throwing its pivotal end portions past its center line between its end pivotal connections between the shoes 5 and 12. The center of gravity of the loaded wagon when on the platform, is outside the line of the center of gravity of the platform, as shown by the dotted position of the Wagon in Fig. l, and therefore, when the joint in the locking bar is broken, the platform rocks by gravity. Pressure applied to the high end of the-tilted platform in connection with the pull exerted by the spring 23, willrestore the platform to a horizontal position.

My invention provides a very strong, reliable automatic lock for the tiltingdumping platforms of beet. dumps, and whilel have illustrated and described the preferred tion, I do not wish to be limitedto it, as

many changes might be made without departing from my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a sup orting structure, and a rockerV supported p atform mounted thereon, of a toggle latch, the ends of which are pivotally 'connected respectively to one side portion of said platform and to said supporting structure, arms eX- tending at right angles from the members of said toggle latch, a contraction spring connected at its ends to said arms, and means mounted on the supporting structure for breaking the joint in said toggle latch, thereby to permit tilting of the platform.

2. The combination with a supporting structure and airocker platform supported thereon, of a vertically disposed toggle latch hinged'at one end to one side of the platform, and at its other end to said supporting structure, a stop on one member of said toggle latch which engages the other member thereof to hold saifl latch in'a locked position, an armextending at right angles from each member of the toggle latch, a contraction spring connecting said arms, and a lever hinged to said supporting structure for-breaking the joint in said toggle latch thereby to permit tilting of the platform.

structure and a rocker platform mounted `thereon, of a toggle latch connecting one 3. The combination with a supporting a channel form of stop 4which extends beyoud ;l1e joint of said latch and engages the other member thereof to hold the latch in locked position, arms extending at right angles from said latch members -in thefdirection of their unlocking movement, a tension device on one of said arms, a contraction sp1-ing connected at one end to said tension device and at itsiother end to the opposite arm,- and a lever mounted on the supporting 10 structure for breaking the joint in sald latch thereby to` permit tilting of the platform.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

l MACK S. RICHESON.

lvitnesses z' MICHAEL OCONNOR, DANIEL J. NUsCuY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner otrntents..

A Washington, D. C. i 

